Sunday, 29 March 2009

I have had a few commissions lately a couple of which you can see above. With the "left over" clay I made this little pair of leaf earrings. I am still just tinkering and not really trying anything too stressful plain and simple pendant stuff. TBH I am not sure where to go now and I guess this is where classes would be very helpful but that means money which I am sadly lacking right now :-(

The leaf earrings will be up for sale in my Etsy shop shortly and I have added a couple of bead pairs to my website today as well!

Anyway money is not going to stress me out! There is another batch of clay cooling down in my kiln as we speak all of which are orders. I have had 2 requests for my lariat featured in "Making Jewellery" I am not repeating that design anymore, not because I don't like it but because I want it to stay unique. Both of the orders have requested different colour beads so they are individual still, despite being the same design! And I am having a night on the torch tonight as well so there will be more beadies later this week!

I am feeling a bit down about the forum thing at the mo so I think I may step out a bit. I am not really sure what or why but I don't feel like I belong sometimes! I think it is my own paranoia and there is definitely nothing major but maybe I have just let it become a bit to much part of my life and need to take a little step back. I still look in and out but maybe not as often!

I have always liked Jenson seems like a genuine nice guy, not that Lewis isn't cos he is fab as well but there is something about Jenson and I am well chuffed he has won the Australian Grand Prix. He looked so promising a few years back and then it all started to go wrong and 3 weeks ago he did not even know if he had a job! In steps Ross Brawn, what a guy and then to top it all off sponsorship from Richard Branson no less who is no muppet and wow a team to reckon with. Early days I know and Lewis should definitely not be written off but I am so chuffed for Jenson. Is there a possibility of 2 British drivers competeing for a F1 World Championship????

On the jewellery and beads front the kiln is on as we speak firing loads of art clay pieces for various commissions hopefully I will get up the studio tonight to get some beads made. Still got loads of jewellery to make for my party Friday, must get a move on!!!

Saturday, 28 March 2009

Have you signed up for Earth Hour One simple little thing turn your lights off at 8.30pm local time for one hour! It's about making a statement for global warming. Go take a look.

Other news I have temporarily abandoned my Folksy shop in favour of Etsy.There are only a couple of things listed at the moment but I will add stuff if it looks promising! I still have my website it is just about getting my name out there and expanding my customer base and Etsy seems a good vehicle for that!

Thursday, 26 March 2009

Not today I am having an angry and upset evening. I will try to explain cos I think I am probably no different from much of the UK population but I don't think it is vocalised well. Now that is not to say I am going to be Mrs. Eloquent here but I sure am gonna give it a go.

I work 4 days a week as a university lecturer My wage is not to bad thank you although I did take quite a hit on the ole wage by dropping 1 day a week last September. Anyway back to the point I don't earn crap money. My husband works in the building trade for a firm so he earns a fair wage not brill but not bad so jointly we are (on paper) apparently fairly ok. Middle Britain so to speak. So I pay £700 month mortgage and this months childcare bill has just blown me out of the water for £600. The last 5 weeks childcare amounts to 172.5 hours. Bloody hell how much!!! I only work 30 hours ish a week!!! Well there goes my wages. gotta live off hubbys this month, food (approx £100 a week for family of 4), gas, electric, water, council tax ( somewhere in region of £300 for the month)

...Do you see what I am getting at. I work my arse off to be a contributing member of society and for what??? I don't have any frickin money! We earn to much to qualify for any child tax credit so I get nothing diddly squat. Why do I bother? Why do we bother trying to earn a decent wage, to contribute to society, to bring our children with the values about working and contributing etc when no bugger even bothers to say thank you and here is a little help.

I am NOT a charity case I most certainly do not expect state handouts but why the bloody hell am I being penalised for keeping most of the country afloat? The rich just don't bloody matter and the poor just get their frickin handouts and keep on laughing yet the majority get nothing. It all quite frankly makes me so bloody angry that I have spent the last hour sobbing. Why do I bother. And yet we will manage cos we always bloody do and therein lies the problem. We just all keep on getting by and no one says anything about the blatant injustice and deeply skewed support systems in this country.

I find out next week what primary school my daughter is going to. If I cannot get her into our school of choice I am in deep do do's. I will have no child care, she will be part time for a while after staring how the bloody hell am I supposed to work 4 days a week and drop off and pick up a child from school. The government want mums to go to work but it just don't work does it! Take for example the outcry when parents had to take days off cos the schools shut cos of the snow. This country is useless.

I love being British not that I have any experience of being anything else so my basis of comparison is extremely limited but I do love many things about this country but there are some inherent problems that the powers that be are completely ignorant about. They are so out of touch it is untrue. I don't imagine that other countries are any better and I would hate for you now to think that I am one of those moaners who whine and bitch but don't do anything. I am impotent what can I do? One small voice highly unlikely to make any difference.

I do want to make one small apology for those of you who have managed to read this far...I have made some sweeping statements about people on benefits etc and the rich I am acutely aware that there are many different circumstances and situations that lead people to be in the situations they are. You could argue that I did not have to have a second child and this is my own doing. Correct. I am also responsible for the 2 loans I have which have undoubtedly compunded my situation. Correct. So why am I moaning. Who knows....hormones I guess...

Wednesday, 25 March 2009

I am dabbling a little in other online shopping sites. My foray into Folksy has not been in the least bit successful. Now whether I have given it enough time or what really I am not sure. I am not sure I need 2 shops either but I thought I would give Etsy a go. Nothing is listed yet (typical!!!) but here is my etsy shop

I will hopefully list some stuff later this week most likely at the weekend but bookmark it now!!!

Tuesday, 24 March 2009

....and all of a sudden things have gone a bit crazy! I am most definitely not complaining though. I have 2 fingerprint commissions going and to commissions for the lariat featured in "Making Jewellery".

There is endless debate about making something again and again like mass production but there is something very very fab about being asked to produce a piece of jewellery again for someone else. It won't be the same exactly I will do something a little different each time, different texture, different colour beads different findings etc.

Anyway things are nice and busy and the good news is that my 5 weeks of full on teaching is ending this week so things quieten down a wee bit for me at work. Still have lesson prep and student support etc but teaching goes a little quieter for a few weeks as the students are on placement. And added to that Easter hols are only a couple of weeks away!!! Ooohhh...so much going on. Life is good I am happy and to top it off the sun is finally shining.

I am having a photography evening later so new stock will be up on the website tonight or tomorrow.

Oh and one final piece of news Keiara and I are having our long overdue glassy play day tomorrow. Hoorah.....

Saturday, 21 March 2009

But for your convenience I have cut and pasted this directly from the website.

What's a Flame Off?

Well we bring hundreds of glass beadmakers together in 2 halls to play with glass and fire, sounds like a safety officers nightmare.Upstairs in the top hall we will have 6 of the U.K's and Europes lampwork artists demonstrating in front of a camera so that the 100 seater area will have tv screens beaming all the detail to you, each artist demonstrates for 45 mins through the day.

Downstairs there is a sales area with traders , a "lampworkers village" with the leading artists selling their creations and a huge free taster area. The taster area will have benches set out were anybody can sit down and play with the glass , make beads , pendants or just melt and blob. If you have never made beads or played with hot glass before but wanted to then this is the show for you as you get a chance to sit and play , get tuition off the stewards and if you like it you can then buy all the kit to take home.

The demonstrations and taster benches are all free after you have paid the entrance fee and we are also running silver clay classes [charges for class] and a mens creche for the bored husbands dragged along. Its held at Towcester Racecourse on the 17th and 18th April 2009, just offthe M1 with lots of free parking and is open on both days from 10.00am - 5.00pm

This years artists will include ,

Jazzy Lily

Julie Anne Denton

Ian Pearson

Beverley Hicklin

Sarah Hornik.

This is going to be a wicked weekend. I am so looking forward to going up and meeting all my friends from Frit Happens Forum old and new. I feel a bit more confident at sitting at a torch this year last year I did not I just felt too "green" !!! and I can play around with other torches to see if I fancy another different torch!! Think it could be an expensive weekend ;-)

Thursday, 19 March 2009

There have been times lately that I have struggled for things to say mostly cos my life is fairly mundane and right now I have been quite busy in the day job with teaching committments 6 hours a day 3 days a week. One more week and things quieten down a little which will be nice! Anyway there is a website on the Internet that offers you a prompt service if you are struggling for things to Twitter or Facebook or blog or if you are just generally a saddo geek like mw who spends an inordinate amount of time on the internet doing not very much at all!!! Anyway Plinky can be found here Go have a look see what you think! I will try to find out who I am on there and link to it so you can follow me there as well if you want!

Anyway struggling a little for topics to discuss tonight so the post below about Top Gun was prompted by Plinky.

Yee hah Jesters dead, stupidly it reminds me of my skiing trip in 1989 and listening to Kevin Day who was totally fearless skiing down the mogul field shouting that very line! and it is just a darned good movie

I have just placed an order for more of this scrummy glass! I am really enjoying playing with it although the sampler pack I bought consists of unlabelled rods so I have no idea what I am using!!! I am treating myself to 2 rods of colour each time I order and playing with each colour! I will be back up the studio (shed) tonight so I can play a bit more!

I will have some pictures later of my haul from Sunday night, my mum is going to a wedding in 2 weeks and she is wearing a pink and grey outfit and has asked me to make her some pink and grey jewellery. In keeping with the theme lately of my greys and purple etched bracelelt and the greens and blues etched bracelet I have made loads of small beads in the various pinks and greys and some larger ones round and pressed to make some jewellery with. Got a few more greys and pinks to work through tonight and then can show my mum and get making! I like pink and grey together not too girly but not to austere either, casual and smart etc etc. I will post pictures later!!

Monday, 16 March 2009

Nope there is nothing about cats in this blog and not a lot new either so not really sure why I called this post what I have but it caught your attention. Another week begins not much planned for this week, got lots of teaching on in my day job for the next couple of weeks and then it settles for a bit. 3 weeks and I am on Easter hols, I said it before and I say it again time is just flying by....I had a productive evening on torch last night only made single colour beads in pinks and greys and filled an order but should get a good couple of bracelets and other jewellery out of them. I got lots of orders to place for stock to make jewellery and tomorrow is my day off so I can get it all sorted!

Right short and sweet but Savannah needs to go to bed so I best be off, Tony is on the phone to his brother in Switzerland so it is my turn to put her to bed and read a billion stories...

Friday, 13 March 2009

OMG another weekend already, honest I can't get over how fast time is flying. It is scary. 2 and half weeks and I should know what school Savannah has got into and it won't be long after and I will be buying her first school uniform. Honest I can't believe she is nearly ready to start school. Where does the time go?

I have had a good week with the business, sold quite a bit from the website which is always good. I have got jewellery to make for my party in April so it is nice to get the money together to buy more stock. Not only the good sales this week I have had the exposure from the magazines which really made my week. I have also been asked to put another tutorial together for issue 21 which I aim to do over this weekend. So it is all go on the tutorial front!

Today was also judging for "One Year On" for New Designer 2009. I will hear how I did from the 1st April so again a couple more weeks to wait. Not holding my breath but you never know!!!

I have made my first batch of macrame chokers that I blogged about a little while ago. See picture above, if you click the picture it should enlarge!!! I need to make some beads to fit them but I am quite pelased with them. They are not for sale yet but wil hopefully be available with a selection of beads by the end of the weekend.

What are your plans this weekend? If the weather is nice I am taking Savannah to the park tomorrow, going to let her play around and we can go looking for signs of spring, which reminds me I better charge up the video camera. Imogen is with her dad this weekend so just got the littleun to amuse!

Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing and I will see you soonTTFNx

Wednesday, 11 March 2009

Even this one. Wednesdays are my day off from my "day job" and even though today I have got work to do (essays to mark and lesson to prep) I still enjoy the relaxed feeling it gives me! Here we are at nearly 11 in the morning and I am still in my PJ's, pottering around. Savannah has got pre school at half 12 so I will drop her off whip round Tesco and then get home to my marking (joy!!!) But I have still managed to get a bit of jewellery making in. I am having a jewellery party on 3rd April so I really need to get some stock sorted. The pictures above are the latest in my bracelet collection. These are so darned simple but so bloomin gorgeous I think there will be more. I especially love the etched glass effect.

Tuesday, 10 March 2009

......you remember ages ago I said something good may be about to happen well it has!!!! A new magazine is about to be launched called "Making Jewellery" and I am in it!!!!!!!!! AAArrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!Follow this link Making Jewellery and I am on page 4 & 5

I have a big smile on my face. I am also in this montsh edition of Beads and Beyond also out this week. Judging of New Designers this week also could I make it 3....... oh I hope......

Sunday, 8 March 2009

So despite feeling terrible today I have had a little sort out and the pictures above are a little taste of things to come. I have uploaded a few more to my flickr album so feel free to have a look. There is a link on the right of this blog!!!

I have made a necklace as well for a commission order will finish the clasp in a minute and take a picture for you all!!!

Saturday, 7 March 2009

Friday, 6 March 2009

These 2 beads are made with a transparent pink base with shards over the top. The bead on the left has been left shiny and the bead on the right has been selectively etched so the shard remains shiny and the transparent pick is now matt!I quite like the etched effect, what do you reckon?

I think March may be a very important month for me and cause for celebration. Why is this? Well...1) I have had 5000 visitors to my website2) I have my logo sorted3) Aurorabeadz is about to celebrate it's first birthday (23rd)

This calls for a little celebration. I need to think this through a bit so watch this space but I feel a little celebratory giveaway coming. I would like to try to do something a little unusual so I will return in next day or so with details.

Can I just say thank you to all my past customers and to all those who have supported me and continue to support me in this venture. I am having a fab time with all the people I have met and all those who support me, I have made some awesome friends both in person and "virtually" and want this to continue for many years to come.

Thursday, 5 March 2009

I have been trying to sort out my "image" for a while now. No not my image but my beads image, I am beyond help now LOL ;-) anyway back to my bead image so like I said I have been trying to sort it out for a while but I am a bit of a photo numpty and just could not get it sorted. One of the lovely ladies on Frit Happens kindly offered to help me out and so she did. The picture above is my signature banner for FH and is a smaller version of my banner for my websiteThe lady in question is the fantastic Becky Fairclough of Chameleon Designs an extremely talented jewellery designer and a dab hand with thte computer to boot. Thank you Becky you are a star.

Wednesday, 4 March 2009

...how slow am I. Keiara has tagged me and I missed it. rules are I have to show the 6th photo from the 6th album and tag 6 more people!!! The 6th picture is of my youngest daughter in her Tinkerbell outfit! The second picture is Imogen and the 3rd picture is my hubby with the 2 girls! That is one of my fav pictures!

This is my 150th post on my blog, not bad, not bad at all. I am really enjoying my little blog and reading back through them all there is a varied mixed of topics! Some quite lighthearted, some quite sad, lots and lots of jewellery and glass which is good and a nice little insight into my life!

So what about today, well today is Wednesday whcih means it is my day off yay! sadly I have so much to do that beading time is looking a little unlikely! As strict as I am about my time off I have got some lesson prep that must be done today, then the housework, then get Savannah to her nursery this afternoon then I may get some torch time if I have been strict about this morning. So there is an incentive if I ever needed one.

Been quiet on the bead front cos work has picked up a bit and this will carry on for the next 4 weeks but once I get into the flow I should be back a bit more! I have arranged a jewellery party for 3rd April so I gotta get on with some stuff otherwise I will not be selling anything!

And on that note I will bid ye farewell for now! Have a lovely WednesdayTTFN x

Sunday, 1 March 2009

Seriously my life is a little challenging right now. My hubby has a groin strain and is in quite a lot of pain. He can't have time off cos he does not get paid so he can't rest. He did manage 4 days but he is crap at sitting still. The pain is bad during the day but tolerable but at night he is in quite a bit of pain. Despite regular paracetamol and codeine he is still in pain. Consequently he is not sleeping very well. He does not sleep brilliantly at the best of times but the last two weeks have been particularly bad. He has actually got up on a couple of occasions at 2 am and 4 am to make the sandwiches for lunches the next day. Now me, courtesy of the prozac, can sleep for England and frequently do those of you who know me know how important my "nana" naps are to me ;-)But what can I do, I have tried the whole bedtime routine thing, warm milky drink, relaxing etc. did not work, my neighbour has some Zopiclone and Tony had one last night (I know what you are all thinking don't shoot me we are desperate. anyway it did not even touch him!!!) I am thinking Nytol but if Zopiclone did not work will a herbal tablet which is not even monitored by the pharmaceutical industry so could be pressed talc for all I know.I am at a loss I would love to hear your suggestions no matter how wierd and wacky cos we are quite desperate. I want to sleep without feeling guilty and Tony just wants to sleep. If someone suggests something and it works I may just send them a little gift to say massive thank you!!!Sleep deprivation is the pits!

About Me

My real name is Sam and I live in Kent, England. I make my own glass beads that can be used in jewellery. I have a nortel minor torch with an oxycon and propane and my own little studio (shed!!) where I work. I have my own website where my beads can be purchased!
This blog is about me and my family and glass.
My website can be found at www.aurorabeadz.co.uk I also sell beads and jewellery through Etsy www.aurorabeadz.etsy.com